Fighting Only Gets You Somewhere

By Samantha Hartley

Everyone has a battle in life that theyve had to face. For me, well, it wasnt something that a typical teenage girl had to deal with. No, it wasnt a lifelong disease or some crippling addiction I was trying to beat either.

But, in a way, I guess you could say it was.

My battle only got harder and 10 times more complicated when I met a Nixon. Then it got even worse when I met the rest of the Nixon clan.

While I wouldnt say that my life was normal before I met William Nixon, I was actually trying to make it that way. I was trying to distance myself from what Id wrapped my whole life around. But one mistake one stupid decision to go back to the warehouse undid two years worth of hard work.

Now I was back to where I started addicted, bloodied, crippled, and diseased.

Only, I wasnt really. That would mean I was home and in reality I was the furthest thing from it. If I were home that would mean most things would be back to the way they were. But they werent. They couldnt be. There was only one thing that always seemed to stay the same. The place I could never escape. The place that drew me back time and time again.

The warehouse.

All I can say though is fighting only gets you somewhere.

And I learned that the hard way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491830062

Samantha Hartley

Samantha Hartley is a student at the University of Guelph and writes in her spare time, or whenever she needs a break from the busy life of essays, lectures, and reading countless chapters. She began her writing epidemic during her early years of elementary school and continued with several publications in her senior high school yearbook. From an early age she could be found in the library, or a quiet area, devouring whatever she could get her hands on. As she grew older the list of books she’d read grew as well, most of which she can consume in one sitting. Samantha writes from a teenage perspective, being a teenager herself, and aims to keep things within a realistic perspective, with a little bit of a twist. She creates strong female characters who assert their independence and put up a fight, but aren't afraid to bear it all when they fall in love. Her goal is to create a world filled with relatable characters in which the reader can immerse themselves. She hopes that the personality and characteristics of her cast should resonate with her teenage, and possibly young adult, audience. She hopes to continue in the industry, possibly with a sequel to Fighting Only Gets You Somewhere.

Book preview

Fighting

Only Gets You

Somewhere

Samantha Hartley

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AuthorHouse™ LLC

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2013 Samantha Hartley. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/30/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-3007-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-3005-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-3006-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013919235

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Thirty-Seven

Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Nine

Forty

Forty-One

Forty-Two

Forty-Three

Forty-Four

Forty-Five

Forty-Six

Forty-Seven

Forty-Eight

Forty-Nine

Fifty

Fifty-One

Fifty-Two

Fifty-Three

Fifty-Four

Epilogue

About the Author

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Jodi and Mary for dealing with my indecisiveness when it came to the front cover art, you both did a phenomenal job on the artwork. I also want to thank my beta-readers, Kevin, Jodi, and Tory who’ve probably read the manuscript just as many times as I have, and made just about as many changes. I’d like to give a massive thank-you to my family and friends for always supporting my writing from a young age and encouraging me to keep going, and my teachers who’ve flushed out a lot of my work. Especially my grade 9 English teacher, Mr. Barghout, who helped me grow with my writing as well as publish my first pieces in my grade 12 yearbook. Regardless of what you say, I probably wouldn’t have been able to show my writing to the world, and have pushed myself so far, had it not been for the impact that you’ve had on my life. So thank you, for everything.

"Sometimes we find ourselves fighting tooth and nail for something we think we want, when, in reality, what we really want comes not from giving up, but from being wise enough to choose which battles are worth fighting."

Preface

I present to you, the three time reigning champion, Alex Belfour! announced one of the greats of the underground fighting community, 32 year old Gavin Tanner.

The crowd cheered as a hooded figure walked through the path created by the mass of people. The fighter wasn’t big—maybe 5'8 and 145lbs, max—at all. Yet, in such a tiny build, there was more of a fighter’s spirit in her than in that of half the underground street fighters in this competition. Clad in a pair of shorts that were far too big for her and an oversized hoodie, a pair of white trainers stepped onto the mat; a 38' x 38', lightweight, wrestling competition style foam bounded by vinyl and polyester mat.

From the opposite side of the painted-on white ring another figure emerged. He, however, wasn’t as covered as his opponent. In just a pair of simple black shorts and boxing shoes, he stood at the edge of the ring and wrapped his hands in a pair of gloves.

These underground fights weren’t as structured as boxing. This was a combination of just about every type of fighting skill; karate, kickboxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts, jujutsu, and close quarters combat, to name a few. That’s probably why it drew in so many fighters. Everyone wanted the chance to get into the ring with someone else they thought they could beat and walk away with a hunk of change for doing it.

Most of the people entering these competitions were male; big, buff, rough and tough males expecting to beat up another male. Especially in the final fight for all the money.

The challenger for Alex this evening, Blade Dragon, undefeated for the night!

The smell of blood mixed with sweat and puke in the air. But that never stopped people from coming to the fights to watch Alex take on her next opponent. And even though they couldn’t always fit into the warehouse Alex was fighting in, people would bunch up near the doors just to hear what was happening inside.

There were two people on Blade’s flanks, dabbing his face with a damp towel and squirting water into his mouth. No one stood behind Alex other than Gavin. He knew Alex better than anyone else did, and he wouldn’t trust anyone else with the task.

He stepped back, receiving word that the bell was moments away from ringing, and gave Alex a nod. She nodded back, dropping her hands to the hem of her sweater before pulling it over her head. She tossed her hoodie over to Gavin before he handed her a pair of black leather gloves.

Blade studied her and watched her every move. Her movement captivated him, had his eyes glued to her tiny frame even as she prepped herself for the fight. Her brown hair was pulled into a high pony tail, her bangs held back with a head band, preventing it from falling into her clear blue eyes. Her body was clad in baggy shorts, much like his own, and a simple white tank top, the same thing that all the other fighters wore.

Yet she held his attention firmly.

Gavin walked back into the ring. You know the rules; knock out or tap out to win. No eye gouging and no shots to the groin.

Alex and Blade walked to the middle of the ring, with Gavin in between the two, and just stared at each other. Alex had seen him fight before and he was good, he had a technique similar to hers. However, she didn’t consider him a big threat because she disregarded Gavin’s questioning stare for not putting her mouth guard in.

When the bell rang, Alex stuck her gloved fist out for a bump, which he returned, before the two broke out into their fighting stance. Everyone in the crowd started cheering and chanting names; the roar of everyone was positively deafening.

Five minutes into the fight and both were standing strong, something that was unusual when fighting against either Alex or Blade. The crowd had gotten even more unruly than before. Gavin was close to having a heart attack, his ‘little girl’ wasn’t winning nor close to it. Blade and Alex were evenly matched.

Blade landed a punch to Alex’s ribs and she stumbled back, clutching her side in agony. He took this as an opportunity to take the upper hand and pounced forward, landing an uppercut to her jaw and landed another jab to her ribs. The crowd went nuts.

Alex ended up with her back mere inches away from the crowd with blood dripping from her split lip and a few sore ribs; not the worst she’d been banged up but she usually got in worse damage seconds after. She felt horrible, the pain in her side was unbearable and she was sure she’d have to take a dreaded trip to the hospital after this.

Mustering up all the strength she could she pushed herself forward and threw jab after jab at his stomach, tempting him to drop his guard from his face. She could feel a few ribs start to concave as her fist made contact with his rock hard chest. Finally, his guard came down and she switched motives. Upper cut, upper cut, right hook, upper cut, jab, left hook. And that’s all it took for him to start wobbling around the ring.

A smirk pulled up the corners of her split lip as she advanced. Blade, expecting her to hit him, pulled his arms up to cover his face. Wrong move, she thought as she tackled him to the floor, maneuvering so she had him in a secure arm lock. She pulled back on it, waiting to hear his bone pop or snap out of place.

As she continued to put pressure on it, Blade squeezed his eyes shut in pain. There was no way he was going to let a girl beat him, especially not with his father in the audience with his ‘friends’. The pain was quickly becoming just too much for him to handle. But he was a fighter; he’d get out of this somehow.

A loud crack silenced the crowd before Alex released Blade’s now broken arm and straddled his chest. She began throwing punches at his face when he didn’t tap out. Doesn’t this guy know when to quit? She thought as she heard the crunch after her fist connected with his nose. But he still didn’t tap out.

Gavin stood along the sidelines, helplessly left to watch his little girl beat up the bloodied mess that once was a man.

Alex wanted this to be over. Reeling her fist back one final time, she threw it forward with all her might and connected it with his jaw. A deafening pop echoed through the small warehouse. Everyone stood frozen and even Alex stopped moving. Slowly, she stood and looked down at Blade. There was so much blood on his face that it was nearly impossible make out the deathly pale colour of his skin.

The bell rang before Gavin rushed forward and pulled Alex a safe distance away from Blade. Ladies and gentlemen, he shouted, the four time reigning champion; Miss Alex Belfour!

A group of men pushed through the crowd and collected Blade from the ground as the crowd erupted into chants of, Alex! Alex! She smiled brightly as Gavin raised her right arm high in the air.

Easiest three grand she’d ever made.

One

I stood in front of my full length mirror. There was nothing wrong with the way I looked; everything was perfectly flawless, as it had to be. My light brown hair fell in large, loose ringlets to the middle of my back. The tips of my straightened bangs fell into my clear blue eyes.

I shimmied into a metallic blue dress that clung to my body like a second skin and pulled the halter strap over my head without disturbing the curls in my hair. The dress was over the top, something that my mother loved. It was because of her that I had to wear this dress. She was throwing a swanky party tonight downstairs.

It was supposed to start at 7 p.m. and my mother demanded that I be ready for my ‘grand’ entrance at 7:15 p.m., but with her obsessive tendencies I was getting a ready a half an hour early just in case. She tended to get all crazy when it came to impressing her friends.

I slipped on a pair of silver stilettos that were far too high for me to walk in but would have been of average height to an average woman. They clicked against the hardwood as I cautiously walked over to my bed. I still had a while to wait so I wound up sitting there twiddling my thumbs in my lap. It was only when I’d finished counting the hardwood panels that my cell phone rang.

But once I heard the specific ringer, I tensed.

Hello? I asked breathlessly, my nerves working double-overtime.

Stephanie. The voice caused my heart to jump into my throat and my breathing to increase tenfold. How have you been? I struggled to find my voice for a few moments, and even when I found it I had troubles talking around my heart lodged in my throat.

I was tempted to run a hand over my face and into my hair but stopped, remembering the time and effort it took to finish everything. A sigh shook my rattled frame. I needed to calm down, it was only Gavin. Why are you calling me? I tried to keep my voice flat but it cracked the slightest at the end. Shit.

I just wanted to check on you.

You shouldn’t have called me. My tone came out more clipped than I wanted it to and I instantly wanted to slam my head against a nearby wall. Gavin’s intentions were good and here I am acting like an ungrateful brat.

Just like the Gavin I remembered, he didn’t miss a beat. Why, what’s wrong? he asked, worry tainting his voice.

Nothing’s wrong, I answered quickly. Look, I can’t talk right now. I’ve got to go.

Steph-

I hung up as someone knocked on my door. Miss Stephanie, it is time, said the butler.

Henri-François was an aging man in his early 50s. He’d been with my family since before I was born and he practically raised me on his own. He lacked hair on the top of his head, but like most balding men he still had hair that wrapped around the sides and back of his skull, all of it a dull white. His eyes, however, didn’t get dull with age. They were the colour of leaves in spring, of freshly grown grass coated in morning dew, and of a sickeningly grotesque bruise, tainted with an unnatural yellow.

Thank you Henri, I said, walking to meet him at my door. I let him escort me down the endless halls, past countless doors, and down numerous staircases before we were even relatively close to the ballroom.

My parents were famous in a sense. My dad owned a hotel chain while my mother was a model in her day. Now since she’d ‘lost her figure’—load of bullshit I’ll tell you—she designed the clothes and put together the shows for her modeling agency.

Both of my parents were required to travel a lot for their jobs. Dad needed the whole family to be there for a grand opening to ensure the proper media coverage, whatever that means. Mom, on the other hand, simply insisted that we go to the fashion shows to see her work and mingle with her friends, but I’m sure there’s more to it that I can’t be bothered to figure out.

I present Miss Stephanie Northman. The music in the ball room dimmed to a low murmur before Henri announced my name over the loudspeakers.

Eyes from every corner of the room turned to look at me, the prestigious daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Northman. After a moment or so people got tired of craning their necks to look at me and the music kicked back up to its regular volume. I breathed out a sigh of relief before placing my hand on the banister and descending the stair case elegantly.

I smiled at people who smiled my way and held conversations with those who started them. Overall, I was the perfect daughter. My parents would be proud.

I somehow managed to get sucked into a conversation with one of my mom’s coworkers about the latest fashion line, and how I should really look into becoming a model. She continued to babble about how hard it was to remain skinny, saying that cravings were her worst enemy. She hasn’t had a sweet in over three years. I simply nodded politely and gave her my reply whenever she looked for it, which didn’t happen very often.

Excuse me, miss? Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around only to be met by a pair of brilliant green eyes. Would you like to dance?

Excuse me, I mumbled politely to mom’s co-worker before walking away with my hand in my mystery saviour’s. I absolutely loathed talking to my mom’s friends about modeling. All of the models were completely senseless and I could feel my brain cells dying as the seconds droned by.

We approached the middle of the ballroom as a rather slow song came on. He bowed slightly and I returned with a small curtsey, just like my parents had taught me. He placed both hands on my waist while mine rested on his shoulders. He was fairly tall, standing at about 6'4, and had shaggy dark brown hair that threatened to spill into his gorgeous eyes.

He took my hand and abruptly spun me out before pulling me back against his chest. I could feel the hand that was on my hip travel towards the middle of my back, preparing to dip me. The only time I’ve ever danced like this was with my dad’s friends, way older than the guy I was with. When he bent me at the waist the large double doors crashed open and banged into the walls loudly.

Robert, I would have expected an invitation to this soirée, especially with our little agreement, a powerful, smirking, man boomed as he traipsed into the room.

I turned my head to try and locate my father through the crowd. The agreement never covered this. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.

The man’s smirk deepened, if that was even possible. Robert, Robert, Robert, fickle absentminded Robert. If you want to go over the details of our agreement I’d be more than happy to oblige.

My mother appeared beside my father out of nowhere. Both wore a look of unmasked horror on their faces. The man, who still had me dipped inches above the ground, kept his eyes on the doorway, seemingly frozen by the additional presence in the room. My limbs were starting to cramp up from the awkward position, so I dropped my hands to his and pried them off me.

Only to land on the ground with a silent thud.

Apparently it hadn’t been as silent as I’d thought. I noticed a few guys standing behind the man at the door turn their gazes to me. I righted myself, amongst all of the frozen, gawking people and started to walk towards my parents.

I can see you’ve yet to tell your daughter… , the man said, catching my attention.

What’s going on? I hadn’t intended for my voice to carry as far as it did, but in the silent room my subtle voice might as well have been a shout. The man just inside the doorway chuckled and I fought back an ugly sneer.

His mocking laugh had me curling my hands into fists at my sides.

Don’t mock me, I bit, my eyes scanning my parents for some type of clue, to no avail.

Still as feisty and full of fight as ever. I could hear a proud tone in his voice and couldn’t help but furrow my eyebrows in confusion. I want my money by noon tomorrow, Robert, or I’m taking everything away from you.

With his piece said he spun on his heel and stalked out of the ballroom with his cronies in tow. The room remained frozen statues even minutes after the man had left.

I’d like to thank you all for coming. If you could all please leave the residence as soon as possible it would be greatly appreciated. My father’s voice never wavered, but something on his face betrayed his calm voice. Something was off, something was very off.

Henri ushered the guests out of the ballroom and ensured they left the property before returning. He stopped just in front of my parents. Is everything alright, sir?

Dad’s hair was a mess, he had sweat beads rolling down his forehead, and he looked paler than a ghost. I need Stephanie’s and my wife’s suitcases packed immediately.

Of course sir. Henri started off towards the door and turned back once his hand touched the handle. What about yours, sir?

Don’t worry about mine Henri and book a flight to California for the two of them as early as you can make it. He ran his hand through his already dishevelled hair with a defeated sigh.

Yes sir, right away sir.

Mom began rubbing circles on dad’s back. She kept her face solemn but a few tears welled in her eyes. Henri, wait, mom’s voice stopped Henri in the doorway. Just book the flight for Stephanie, I’m going to stay with Robert. Dad looked like he was going to protest but after one look from my mom he decided against it.

My parents, Robert and Carol, were high school sweethearts. The only time they left each other’s side was when either of them showered, or went to the bathroom. It’s part of the reason why the whole family traveled when either of them has a business meeting. So for dad to suggest that mom leave with me meant that this was something big. Very big.

Henri nodded his head and finally walked out of the ballroom, calling for me to follow. I obliged without question and followed Henri up the stairs to my room.

He didn’t bother speaking as he crossed the floor to my closet. Wasting no time, he began pulling clothes from their hangers and folded them neatly into the suitcase. He refused to look at me as I sat on my bed and called his name twice. He’d honed all his attention on pulling my favourite articles of clothing before packing them away.

Henri! Will you please tell me what the hell’s going on? I begged, standing from the bed and grabbed a hold of his hands as he began to fold a pair of jeans. When he dragged his eyes up to meet mine I could see he was fighting back tears.

Miss Stephanie, you must do as your parents tell you to, his voice cracked and, for the first time in my life, I saw Henri’s true age on his face.

I didn’t mean for my voice to come out as harsh as it did, but the stress and confusion had gotten to me. But Henri, I don’t know what’s happening! How can you expect me to do what my parents want me to when I don’t know what’s going on?

I was close to reaching up and pulling my hair out by its roots. Never had my parents, or Henri, kept something a secret from me. Ever.

You are a fighter, Miss Stephanie, you always have been and you always will be. Henri’s hands slipped from mine as I sat on the end of my bed. Your father didn’t hold up his end of the deal he made with him, and now the Don is targeting him for what he owes.

I felt like I was falling, like everything I’d built up was crumbling down around me.

It’d been two years since I ever thought of doing something like this and I wasn’t about to break my streak now. But God it was tempting. Henri had finished packing my suitcases a little over an hour ago and left me alone to go book my flight.

My phone was screaming at me from across the room, begging me to call him. After a few painstaking seconds I jumped forward and grabbed the small device before scrolling through my contact list. I couldn’t press call fast enough.

He picked up on the third ring. Hello?

I need to know if there’s a fight tonight. I glanced at my bedroom window before biting my lip. Are you actually doing this?

He hesitated for a moment or so before his concerned voice flooded the line again, softer this time, Steph? What’s wrong?

I added more urgency to my voice before I repeated myself. "I need to know if there’s a fight tonight."

He hesitated. Yeah, at the old warehouse, same time as always, Gavin’s voice trailed off at the end but I thanked him regardless. There was a silence over the line that seemed to span an hour but, in reality, only took up several seconds. If you don’t mind my asking, why do you want to know? I thought you gave that up, Stephanie?

I did. I just— I struggled over my words, mainly because I was unsure why I wanted to know.

He made a sound in the back of his throat. Alright Hun, he replied, his voice soft and comforting. Take care, okay?

I ended the call and slipped my phone into the pocket of my jean shorts. Pulling my small hoodie closer to my body, I opened my window and allowed the crisp night air to invade my room. A tree, strategically placed outside my window, was going to be my way down.

And, with my previous history of sneaking out to go to the warehouse this way, it only took me above a minute to reach the ground.

As soon as I turned onto the darkened street the warehouse was on I could hear the cheers of the crowd loud and clear. A breeze brought the smell of blood and puke my way and I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of my lips. The crowd cheered almost as loud as I remembered.

But that’s not what chipped away at my nerves. I couldn’t get over the name they were cheering. He was still here?

I had to push my way through the crowd to even make it to the door. Never have I ever seen this place as packed as this. I pulled my hood up as far as it would go and bowed my head as I elbowed my way further into the warehouse, further into the crowd. I managed to make it into the thick of the crowd, with only a few people separating me from Gavin.

Ladies and gentlemen, his all too familiar voice filled my ears. I present to you, the four time reigning champion, Blade Dragon.

The cheering got louder as a hooded figure appeared from one of the back rooms before he made his way through the parted crowd towards the ring. He casually sported a satisfied smirk across his face as he milked the crowd for all the support they would give him. He looked almost exactly the same as I remembered, save for the crooked nose that I gave him two years ago. His blonde hair was a little longer than it had been before, but his eyes were still a captivating mixture of blue and grey.

My greatest opponent was easy on the eyes but I would never, in my lifetime, admit that he was attractive. Not when his cocky attitude was such a deterrent.

Blade’s challenger for the night is none other than Poseidon!

My jaw dropped. How did Poseidon manage to make it to the final round without as much as a scratch? I pushed my way through the few people separating me from the ring and dipped my head even further to conceal my identity.

It only took Blade a total of three punches to knock Poseidon out cold. And if I remembered correctly, that was a new record.

Our five time reigning champion, Blade Dragon! Gavin’s voice filled the room before the cheering drowned him out.

Two

I leaned against the side of the warehouse, looking out at the trees that surrounded the old building. With all the trees surrounding this area of Washington and the lack of street lamps, it was beautiful here at night. Thinking about how dad was going to send me away to California pissed me off. I didn’t understand why he couldn’t just tell me, why he had to send me away.

I shut my eyes and tried to calm my rising heart rate before I spun on my heel and lost control, driving my fist towards the wall with as much force as I could muster. A sickeningly loud crack echoed through the silent night relentlessly.

Son of a bitch, I muttered, gently taking my hand into my other one to examine the damage.

The skin over my knuckles was shredded thanks to the rugged brick exterior of the warehouse, leaving my ring and middle fingers swollen. The sticky, coppery red liquid trickled out of the cuts and left a red trail as it spread over my hand and down my arm rather slowly. I silently cursed myself and my temper as the stinging pain finally sunk in with greater intensity than I imagined.

Through the endless silence I heard something rip and drew my attention away from my damaged knuckles. In the poor lighting outside of the warehouse I hoped that my hood still provided enough of a shadow to keep my face out of the line of sight. But I couldn’t say the same for my knuckles when two tanned hands, holding a scrap of white material, came into the small line of sight I had with my hood up. The hands were distinctively male when callouses brushed against my hands as he tied the scrap around my blood-stained knuckles. Once the knot was tied securely I expected him to remove his hands.

Only he didn’t.

It’s not ladylike to curse, he mumbled, taking a step closer until I was positive we were breathing the same air. I muttered something about it not being polite to invade someone else’s personal space and for him to screw off only to have him laugh and raise his hand to my face.

Instinctively, I grabbed his forearm and twisted. Got a little spunk in you, huh? He sounded like he was talking to himself more than to me. I like that in my women.

I was seconds away from puking.

I pulled my hand away from his arm quickly and tried to put a little bit of space between the two of us. He seemed familiar, but completely unknown to me. I briefly shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts and turned back to him, regaining the confidence and adrenaline that used to live in my veins.

Yeah? Well I like it when assholes like you screw off and leave me the hell alone, I growled, the corners of my lips turning up in an ugly sneer. Despite the anger that ebbed off me in waves he smirked provocatively at me. A few tsks fell from his smirking lips before he slammed his hands against the wall on either side of my head, trapping me in place.

Ah, Stephanie, you never cease to amaze me. I recognized the voice as the man who’d crashed our party and glanced up to see him stalking a little ways back of the guy who had me trapped against the side of the warehouse. Somewhere in the distance headlights illuminated the poorly lit area, allowing me to see shadows that were various other people scattered about.

I should have just left after the fight.

Look, I stated, giving the guy in front of me a slight push before sending him a death stare. If this whole thing is just about money, you’ll get it soon. I don’t see why you’re going to these extremes just to get—

My head hit the brick wall fairly hard when the guy trapping me pushed me back against the side of the warehouse. I cursed under my breath. I could feel the warm sticky liquid begin to trickle down the back of my neck. You stupid dick! I hissed, pulling my arm back with what little space I had before I launched it straight for his nose.

I was rewarded with the crack of his nose being bent out of shape moments before the barrier he’d created around me shattered. In a split second I was surrounded by four or five guys wielding angry expressions and tightly closed fists. Anyone who got near me got a fist in their face or a foot to their chest. I only stopped, even if it was only a hiccup of a stop, when someone shot a gun nearby.

Something slammed into my back roughly, knocking the both of us over and the air from my lungs. The man on top of me made sure my hands were held securely behind my back before he leaned down to my ear. If you ever punch me again, I swear to you I will make you pay. His voice sounded different, more nasally, but all it did was turn up the corners of my lips in a satisfied smirk.

I couldn’t withhold the laughter and broke out into a short lived fit. I had to fight with the asshole straddling my back to keep my face directly out of the dirt.

He shifted on my back but never once let go of his steel-like grip on my wrists. He dug his knee into the middle of my back as he slowly started to get up, ensuring that I stayed where he wanted me until, finally, the weight was lifted. I tried to turn myself around once I’d jumped to my feet but various hands grabbed at my limbs and kept me in place. I was pushed and pulled roughly until I was forced to stand straight and stare into the eyes of the man my dad owed money.

When my lip pulled up in a nasty sneer a satisfied smirk fitted over his face. Bastard.

Stephanie, I see you still don’t remember me, he mused, circling me like a large, wild cat would it’s prey.

I fought against my restraints, trying to keep my eyes fixed on him as he moved. When I snidely replied a foot clipped me behind the knee and forced me towards the ground as my arms were bent back at an awkward angle. "No, sir," I hissed.

He smiled when he came to stand in front of me. You will in due time. Until then, I have a proposition for you.

And what would that be? You let me live if I cooperate? I grinned maliciously at the thought.

The hands holding mine behind my back tightened, cutting off the circulation to my fingers before pulling my arms up into an even more uncomfortable angle. What’s up your asses? I leered. Can’t take a joke?

That could always be arranged, he mused, taking a step towards me with a devious smirk on his face. But that’s not exactly what I had in mind. You see, I want the money that your father owes me. He made the agreement but he hasn’t held up his end of the deal. And seeing as we can’t guarantee when we’ll see the money we figured it would be in our best interest to pick up some collateral.

I sighed under my breath. I’m the collateral you decided to pick up, aren’t I?

Smart girl, you catch on quite fast.

"And you’re a lot stupider than you look! What kind of idiot comes up with this? You’re out of your mind."

He took a step back, his face void of all emotion. I kept my eyes trained on his as my face hardened. There was no way I was going to show weakness and back down. Our staring match went on for a while before his lips turned up in a grin. He turned his attention to someone behind me and nodded abruptly, only for the pressure on my arms to increase tenfold. I bit my lips to withhold the hiss that was on my tongue.

Watch your mouth, the guy behind me growled, digging his fingers into the already numb skin of my wrists.

Feeling a bit rebellious, I smiled through the overwhelming pain and cheerily said, Fuck you.

Take her to the house, he ordered moments after I was heaved into the air. Bring her to your room and then meet us in the conference room.

I was roughly pushed into the back seat of an SUV without another word. I grabbed for the door handle the second they let go of me but I couldn’t open it fast enough. He clicked a switch and the lock disappeared into the depths of the door panel and I slammed my bandaged palm furiously against the window.

Damn it, I grumbled before slumping against the seat. I stared at the driver through the rear view mirror hoping that looks would start to become lethal very, very soon.

His eyes met mine and I sucked in a breath. The colour was unique, unlike anything I’d ever seen before—wait. My eyes widened in realization. Blade Dragon. When he turned his attention back to the road I got a good look at him up close.

I found my lips turning up in a devious smirk that could rival the Grinch’s. How’s that nose of yours? I snorted in amusement with both the previous and current nose job I gave him. Looks like you haven’t lost your touch there Steph.

Blade grunted as he glanced at me through the rear view mirror, briefly before shaking his head. I watched him through the mirror and saw his jaw tighten and his lips set into a straight, pissed off line.

Bingo!

You’re lucky I fixed that crooked nose of yours, maybe I finally straightened it out. I made myself comfortable in the back seat as I watched his jaw tense and the vein in the side of his neck pulsate. I just can’t believe you were born with such an ugly nose. Are you sure you didn’t break it once before? Fighting can be dangerous, especially if you’re up against that skilled girl that used to fight here. What was her name again, something Belfour?

I fought to keep the smirk off my face as I watched him huff out a breath. And didn’t the guy she fought, Blade something, have to be dragged out of the building unconscious? Hmm, pity, I mused indifferently awaiting his reaction.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel in a vice-like death grip. His jaw moved back and forth as he ground his teeth in pure frustration. I couldn’t fight off the smirk that lifted my face or the chuckle that fell from my lips from the scene that unfolded in front of me.

He mumbled a few choice words under his breath offhandedly that I chose to ignore. I glanced up at him through the rear view mirror only to catch his gaze and have him pull it away rather quickly.

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t he have to be dragged away from the scene? I laughed as he angrily tapped his fingers against the wheel before digging in his pocket viciously for his cell phone.

He pressed the phone to his ear and glared daggers at me through the rear view mirror. Dad, if I have to put up with her bullshit any longer I will end up driving the car into a ditch, he hissed through clenched teeth. He didn’t give his dad much time to talk before he was barking through the receiver again. "Yes I am completely serious. She won’t shut up! Can I at least knock her out to keep her quiet? Fine, I’ll bring her home conscious, he spat the word out like it absolutely disgusted him. Yeah, whatever. I’ll be home soon. Bye."

Aw, poor Blade. Is someone not getting their way? My mocking finally got him to crack and he abruptly stopped the car, sending me face first into the back of the front seat.

He slammed his door shut angrily and stormed around the vehicle to my side. Before he came to my door, he stopped at the trunk and pulled out a roll of duct tape. I tried to move and get away from the door but the back seat wasn’t big enough for me to move around. My eyes widened as he grabbed my hands and bound my wrists in the silver material before ripping off another piece and securing it over my mouth.

He walked around the car with a satisfied smirk on his face. After he climbed back into the driver’s seat he closed the door with a little less force and glanced at me through the rear view mirror. Got nothing else to say, Stephanie? he scoffed as his smirk continued to spread over his face. My muffled words only increased his happy-go-lucky mood. That’s what I thought.

I brought my hands up and flipped him off, getting a chuckle in return. I let of a string of profanities that the idiot driving the SUV couldn’t make sense of because they got caught in the adhesive layering on the duct tape. Despite the fact that I was seething I still glanced at him through the rear view mirror, only to have him stare back at me every time.

Blade hummed under his breath as he continued down the road, annoying the hell out of me on purpose. He hummed louder and horribly off key once he saw me wince the first time he’d decided to do it. Since then I’ve been dying to pull my hair out at the roots and shove it so far down his throat that he couldn’t make a sound.

After the painful drive he latched onto my arm and dragged me up a massive driveway before practically throwing me into a gigantic house. I stumbled through the endless halls as Blade kept to a relentlessly rapid pace. He flew through the halls with me in tow, trying to dig the soles of my shoes into the hard wood floor to try and get him to stop. But my shoes just slid across the slick flooring and I found myself standing in front of two grand doors. Without him even touching them they were thrown open to reveal a grand office.

Well I brought her here, conscious and without a scratch. Blade stopped in front of his father with a firm grip on my bicep. I didn’t miss the subtle glare he shot down at me as I struggled to distance myself from him and he only tightened his grip. Would you like me to blow her nose and wipe her ass too, or can I leave her with you?

Something flashed across the man’s face before he gave his son a curt nod. He kept his eyes trained on Blade’s back before zeroing in on me the second the doors slammed shut. A smile split his face in two before he walked around his desk and took a seat in his lavish leather office chair. With a lazy flick of his hand, two gargantuan sized men appeared from the shadows and forced me onto the lonely leather couch in front of the large desk.

I take it your journey went well? I could hear the smirk in his voice as he glanced over the silver tape and heard my muffled voice. I apologize for Will, he hasn’t had the same control over his emotions as he once did. Can I get you a drink? I’ve got scotch, brandy, Irish whisky, rum… ?

Again, I gave him a muffled answer in response. The man motioned towards his two large cronies before he turned his back to me and began pouring himself a drink. I lifted my eyebrows in confusion before the expression was ripped away from my face along with the duct tape. Son of a bitch! I yelped as the other burly guy ripped the tape from around my wrists.

I glanced down at the fiery red skin around my wrists and glared up at the two massive cronies, balling the duct tape in their large fists.

It’s not ladylike to curse, he replied offhandedly, turning back around with two glasses filled with a coppery liquid. He lifted the glass to his lips and stopped, his eyes never leaving mine. Well, go on. Take a drink.

My eyes glanced up to the liquor cabinet behind him before dropping to study the glass in front of me. The colour didn’t match any in the bottles. I don’t drink, I replied curtly, lifting my gaze from the cup to meet his ever-persistent gaze. "Sir."

The room was quiet, save for the ice cubes hitting the sides of the glass he swirled. I watched as a smile ever so slowly spread across his face. He downed the remaining liquid in one fluid motion after an amused look flitted across his face. There’s another reason I brought you here, he started, standing from his leather chair.

You are great at what you do and, while I have my sons working for me, we could always use the additional skills. I want you to join us. You might just learn a few new things with us. What do you think? He leaned on his desk and looked like he’d vault over it if I gave him an answer he didn’t like.

Join him, join him with what? The two hunks of muscle behind me inched forward. The beefy security didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense! Extra security, lavish house, pack of cronies that answer to the guy’s every hand gesture and demand, a debt that had to be paid, the fear in my father’s eyes… Henry’s words replayed in my head and I internally groaned for not recognizing it sooner.

No.

His face lost all expression. He pushed off the desk and sunk into his large chair. With a flick of his wrist, he spun around to face the large wall of books behind him, removing himself from my sight. Way to go, idiot. You pissed off the freaking Don! A strong hand clamped down on my shoulder. Another roughly grabbed my forearms, hauling me to my feet. They removed me from the office and dragged me towards an elevator.

I was flanked as we rode up the screaming metal death trap in silence, each man keeping his death grip on my arm. Before the elevator music drove me insane the doors opened revealing a long corridor. I got pushed through the sliding metal doors and then down the endless hall until we came to a stop at the very last door.

One man knocked briefly before grabbing the handle and throwing the elegant white door open. A large stylish and neat bedroom greeted us. I was roughly pushed inside and, before I could turn around, had the door slammed shut in my face. I groaned as I pushed myself up off the ground, glancing around the room briefly. My attention stopped on one of the doors when I heard water running.

By the time I got to my feet the water had stopped and was replaced by a muffled voice. I couldn’t make out any of the words from where I stood in the middle of the room like a complete idiot. But I was far too compelled with who would walk out of the bathroom to bother moving from where I pulled myself to my feet.

What—never mind. A towel flew past my head as Will walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of boxers. Wow. I had to remind myself who he was in order to keep my jaw off the ground. Apart from his slightly crooked nose, Blade Dragon had a nearly perfect body. From his God like pecks to his washboard abs, he was the most lusted over boy in the fighting community. Most of the girls that filled the warehouse night after night were there just to catch a glimpse of him sweaty and shirtless. —and stay over there.

I shook my head and looked up at him with a blank expression. His blue-grey eyes stared at me critically as his jaw tightened. Was it that obvious I wasn’t paying attention? Without warning he stalked forward and grabbed my forearm. Before I could protest I was yanked towards a couch and roughly thrown onto it.

This is where you will sleep, he sneered. "Don’t touch any of my shit. All of your clothes will be kept around this couch and nowhere else. Other than that just stay over here. Away from me."

In all honesty it felt like I was being spoken to by a drill sergeant and I was tempted to stand in order to salute him. When I fixed him with a glare he just grumbled under his breath and stalked back into the bathroom. He slammed the door shut behind him and I slumped back on the small leather couch. I ran a hand over my face out of pure exhaustion and frustration.

Maybe I should have just stayed in tonight.

Three

While the black leather couch may have looked beautiful it was actually a bitch to sleep on. I had moved around so much trying to get comfortable but it was no use. All that had resulted in was the leather squeaking beneath me. Will had gotten fed up with my constant shifting and threatened me a few times, after running out of pillows and a few not-so-soft objects to throw at me.

I had been laying there, just staring up at the ceiling, for God knows how long. And that had gotten boring 30 seconds into it. Slowly, I inched up onto my elbows and craned my neck to see if Will was asleep. I watched his chest rise and fall rhythmically for a few moments before I slowly pealed back the paper thin sheet I was given and swung my legs over the side, cringing when the leather protested my movement.

The floor was bitterly cold against my bare feet, but I couldn’t spare time to try to slide on my shoes.